1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a video camera integrated with a still camera, which includes video camera means for photographing and recording a moving image and still camera means for photographing and recording a still image.
2. Description of the Related Art
In some events such as athletics meets or student theatricals and concerts, photographers may feel that if they had a still camera for recording a still image on silver-halide film or the like, they could take a photograph of a scene which they are photographing by using a video camera for recording a moving image on a recording medium such as magnetic tape. During trips or the like, some photographers may also feel tired of carrying both a video camera and a still camera with them.
To cope with these problems, it has been proposed to provide various types of video cameras integrated with still cameras in any of which a video camera and a still camera are integrated into one camera.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,546,375 discloses an arrangement in which a movable mirror is disposed in the optical path of a photographing objective lens so that the position of the movable mirror can be selectively switched so as to record a still image and a moving image on different recording media, respectively.
As another example, Japanese Laid-Open Utility Model Application No. Sho 57-96444 discloses an arrangement in which an optical image pickup part for making a photographic recording on silver-halide film is integrally provided on a video camera body or is removably provided thereon as a separate part. As yet another example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. Hei 1-185533 proposes a composite camera having a confirmation function for providing a monitoring display of an image signal which corresponds to an image formed on silver-halide film and is supplied from a photoelectric conversion type of image pickup element.
However, none of the aforesaid conventional examples has succeeded in offering a satisfactory solution which makes it possible to prevent the complexity of operability from increasing owing to the integration of two such separate devices, one for handling a moving image and the other for handling a still image. According to any of the conventional examples, users cannot readily enjoy the desired photography.
As is known, if an image is displayed by using an image pickup element for photographing a moving image, a signal processing circuit and the like, it is possible to realize a so-called pre- or post-confirmation display which allows a user to confirm the state of a still image to be recorded, before or after the still image is recorded.
The electronic camera described in Japanese Laid-Open Utility Model Application No. Sho 61-251381 is provided with a solid-state image pickup element on which to form a subject image through an optical system, and an optical display device for electro-optically displaying an image formed on the solid-state image pickup element, the optical display device being disposed so that the image can be visually confirmed within a viewfinder. This arrangement has the advantage that since a user, before photography, can confirm a content to be photographed, he/she can prevent a failure in photography.
On the other hand, if the user is to perform a pre- or post-confirmation during the use of such a video camera integrated with a still camera, which can effect both still-image photography and moving-image photography in one camera body, the user will encounter the following problems.
If the user performs a pre- or post-confirmation of a still image during photography of a moving image, the user will not be able to monitor the photographic state of the moving image, because the moving image is not displayed when the still image is displayed. Specifically, it is necessary to display the still image for a sufficiently long time so that the user can perform a satisfactory pre- or post-confirmation of the photographic state of the still image. However, the longer the display time of the still image, the longer the time period during which the user cannot monitor the photographic state of the moving image, so that an image shake or an unintended composition will be produced.
Such apparatus is generally provided with display means of limited size which utilizes a liquid crystal display plate, a Braun tube or the like which is inferior in resolution to a photographic print or the like. As a result, if moving-image information and still-image information used for a pre- or post-confirmation are displayed on one image display means at the same time, particularly if still-image information is displayed in a small area, the user will not be able to confirm the face or facial expression of a person photographed or to be photographed.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a video camera integrated with a still camera which is capable of solving the above-described problems.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a video camera integrated with a still camera which is capable of preventing inconveniences from occurring when a photographer performs a pre- or post-confirmation of a still image during recording of a moving image and which is capable of realizing both confirmation of the photographic status of a moving image and pre- and post-confirmations of a still image only by using one display means.
Another object of the present invention is to make the operabilities of still and video cameras compatible with each other.
To achieve the above objects, in accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a video camera integrated with a still camera which comprises video camera means for recording moving-image information on a first recording medium, still camera means for recording still-image information on a second recording medium, display means for displaying a moving image obtainable from the video camera means and a still image obtainable from the still camera means, control means for controlling the video camera means, the still camera means and the display means, and operating means for allowing a user to perform photographing and recording operations. The display means has a function capable of carrying out a pre-confirmation display to temporarily display an image immediately preceding an image to be recorded by the still camera means, and of carrying out a post-confirmation display to temporarily display an image recorded by the still camera means. The control means executes control so that, while the video camera means is recording a moving image, the display means does not carry out the pre-confirmation display nor the post-confirmation display and displays the moving image which is being photographed and recorded.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a video camera integrated with a still camera in which the control means executes control so that, while the video camera means is recording the moving image, the display means does not carry out the pre-confirmation display nor the post-confirmation display and, after the video camera means stops its photographing and recording operations, carries out the pre-confirmation display and the post-confirmation display.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a video camera integrated with a still camera which comprises video camera means, still camera means, display means for displaying a moving image obtainable from the video camera means and a still image obtainable from the still camera means, control means for controlling the video camera means, the still camera means and the display means, and operating means for allowing a user to perform photographing and recording operations. The display means has a function capable of carrying out a pre-confirmation display to temporarily display an image immediately preceding an image to be recorded by the still camera means, and of carrying out a post-confirmation display to temporarily display an image recorded by the still camera means. The control means executes control so that, when the display means is to carry out the pre-confirmation display or the post-confirmation display while an image is being recorded by the video camera means, the display means continues to display the image recorded by the video camera means in a portion of a display plane of the display means and carries out the pre-confirmation display or the post-confirmation display in another portion of the display plane which is wider than the portion in which the image recorded by the video camera means is displayed.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a video camera integrated with a still camera in which, while moving-image information is being recorded by video camera means, display means does not carry out a pre-confirmation display nor a post-confirmation display and continues to display a moving image which is being photographed and recorded, so that it is possible to prevent recording of moving-image information from being hindered.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a video camera integrated with a still camera in which, after recording of moving-image information is stopped, display means carries out a pre-confirmation display and a post-confirmation display of a recording made by still camera means, so that a confirmation of a photographed still image is enabled.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a video camera integrated with a still camera in which display means continues to display an image recorded by video camera means in a portion of a display plane of the display means and carries out a pre-confirmation display or a post-confirmation display in another portion of the display plane which is wider than the portion in which the image recorded by the video camera means is displayed, so that still camera means can readily carry out recording while the video camera means is continuing recording.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the present invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.